


A friend in the Waiting Room

by CEOofnobodyasked



Category: Psychonauts (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Depressing, Friendship, Gen, Spoilers - Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23805076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CEOofnobodyasked/pseuds/CEOofnobodyasked
Summary: Dr. Loboto and Sheegor didn't meet in Thorney Towers, they actually met several years prior at the hospital. While they only knew each other briefly, the friendship left a lifelong impact of Sheegor.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	A friend in the Waiting Room

Penelope laid down her pencil, and stared at the Paper. Her homework was complete. Normally this would be the point where she could run out to the back of the hospital, and see her best friend Mr. Pokeylope, unfortunately today was the day of a severe lightning storm, and on those days she was never allowed outside, not even to tell her best friend “Hi.”

Dejected she looked up at the wall clock, in hope that it would be closer to the end of her Dad’s shift. The clock read 2:20, it would be almost another four hours before she could go home. Until then though the only thing she could do to kill time would be read one of the same three books she had read repeatedly, or draw. Unless....

She was rarely allowed into the waiting room, unless it was just one kid alone she could almost never approach them. 

Tip-toeing down the hall, she pushed open the waiting room door a crack to get a peek inside, the room was empty except for a blue kid in the corner with black hair, and mix matched eyes… 

Excitedly, she pushed the door open, “Cal is that you!?” she yelled out, far louder than anticipated. The boy looked up. 

“Oh hey, Penelope was it?” He answered with a mix of nervousness and relief in his voice. “What are you doing here today?”  
Penelope smiled and squeezed through the door, “Oh, I come here everyday. I guess I should be asking you what are YOU doing here today?”

Cali’s voice fell from nervous, but still in high spirits to one far more somber. “Dad thinks I’m ‘sick,’ actually the whole family knows it. He just wants to be REALLY sure… before, you know...:”

Penelope didn’t know, at least not a lot about the situation. Over the past month, she had constantly overheard Mr. Loboto talking about how his son was sick. It had actually started several months back, as only faint whispers, which grew with intensity each passing day, until all he ever spoke about was fixing his son and getting him back. Just two days prior she had overheard one of the most chilling things she had ever heard from a doctor, “I don’t care what happens to Caligosto, I just want my family back to normal, if we lose him so be it.” Strangely, in all the rants, he had never once mentioned what the illness actually was.

Not wanting to lie to Cal or freak him out, Penelope decided to change the subject, “It’s such a shame it’s so rainy today, I’d love to introduce you to my turtle friend Mr. Pokeylope. He’d really like you. Do you have any friends like that?” Penelope asked.

Cali’s eyes lit up, “Yeah, I do, well used to. He was a parrot named Crackers, we did everything together, he was the best friend I could ask for… well until a couple months ago when my parents gave him away.” Caligosto’s voice trailed off again. There had to be something Penelope could do to distract him.

“I hope I can work here when I grow up,” Penelope squeaked, deciding on a new distraction. “I will have to study really really hard, but I want to be a brain surgeon!”  
Caligosto flinched, had she said something wrong? “I just want to be a ship captain, but dad says ‘your gonna be a Doctor.’ It’s okay, I also really love teeth, big teeth, small teeth, healthy teeth, rotten teeth, human teeth, shark teeth. I collect them all!” Cal said, his voice increasing in enthusiasm.

Penelope smiled, he wasn’t thinking about getting tested anymore, she just had to keep talking to him and he wouldn’t be afraid at all when the time came. “Oh, a collection? Can you bring it in next time your Dad brings you to work?” She asked, the request wasn’t just to be nice, she always loved seeing peoples collections, especially with medical stuff. 

“Really, you don’t think it’s weird?” Cal questioned with hints of excitement in his voice.

Penelope answered with no hesitation, “Of course not silly, what’s so weird about people doing stuff they like, besides where would the fun be if everyone was the same.”  
“Well, if I bring my collection with me next time, could you take me to see Mr. Pokeylope?” Asked Caligosto hopefully. 

“It would be amazing, I’ve never introduced Mr. Pokeylope to someone else before.” Penelope cheered. 

She didn’t have time to say anything else, before one of the Nurses, Mrs. Howard, opened the door. Calling, “Caligosto Loboto.”  
Cal looked up at her, his excitement fading away, “Oh, I gotta go, see you around Penelope.” He yelled as he walked towards the door.  
Even as he walked away from her, Penelope could see he was far calmer and happier than he was coming in. With nothing else to say all Penelope could do was shout, “Goodbye Cal, good luck!” Before the door shut behind him leaving her alone in the office again. 

***

It was Saturday Morning, Penelope was sitting by the pond, listen to one of Mr. Pokeylope’s many stories, before she noticed a familiar, yet dejected face walking past her on the sidewalk. Excited, she looked over and yelled, “Hey Cal, over here.”

Caligosto slowly turned his head to look at her, with noticeable tear stains all the way down his face. “Hi Penelope, Dad was right, I really am a problem that has to be dealt with.” Penelpe reeled back, he had been a little sad before, but today he was acting as if his whole life was over. 

“Oh, don’t be silly. You aren’t a problem, and you're not just a problem your parents have to deal with.” even as Penelope said those words she remembered all the things Mr. Loboto had said about Caligosto. 

Though even she knew it wasn’t a good time, any distraction could be a good one. Silently apologizing to Mr. Pokeylope, she yanked him out of the water, and held him up so Cal could see her best friend. 

“I said, I’d introduce you to Mr. Pokeylope, and here he is.” She forced out, even her voice sounded miserable after seeing Caligosto that way. 

“I also brought my tooth collection for you, I wasn’t sure if you would be here today, but I figured I could leave it in the break room and you could see it later.” Cal mumbled as he held out his right hand, which was clutching a small chest. 

“Anyway,” Cal continued, “I have to go inside, Dad would be mad if I was late.”  
Penelope ran up beside him, “I’ll walk in with you,” she cried, “You’ll be okay I promise.” 

The walk up the four flights of stairs was agonizing, neither dared say a word, and the only thing to break the silence was the occasional sobs coming from Cal’s direction. 

Finally, they reached the outside of the waiting room. Caligosto raised his shaky hand to open the door- “Wait,” Penelope shouted. “I just want you to know you’ll be okay,” it was all she could do not burst into tears of her own. 

“I'm just so scared, Penelope” I overheard Mother say she didn’t care if it hurt me, she said she just didn’t care anymore, what if I die!?” Cal screamed. 

Without thinking Penelope pulled Caligosto into a hug, “Everything’s gonna be fine, you’ll see. I promise.” Despite trying her best to sound encouraging, it was the last straw before she was wracked with uncontrollable sobbing.

Cal looked at her for hugging her too, “Please, just take my tooth collection, if something happens, use it to remember me.” His voice growing in desperation.

Penelope grabbed at the chest before saying, “I’ll return it to you when the procedure is over, and everything will be just fine. I promise.”  
A few seconds later, Cal gently pushed Penelope off of him, “I have to go now, It was really nice getting to know you.” He forced out before turning the door handle. 

“Just know, no matter what happens, you’ll always be my friend! ”Penelope yelled out desperately. 

While only temporary, she managed to get him to briefly pause before saying, “That’s the first time anyone has told me that… Goodbye, ‘friend.’”

Before disappearing through the door, Penelope could’ve gone down to see Mr. Pokeylope immediately, but she waited, looking through the crack on the door until she was sure Cal had been called to the back. 

The tooth collection in hand, she began her journey back to the pond, the still needed to apologize to Mr. Pokeylope, but he would understand. She’d have to properly introduce him and Cal once whatever treatment he was getting was over. Everything was going to be fine, Cal just had a little iatrophobia, that was all…

***  
“A LOBOTOMY!” Penelope cried, as her father was going over everything that had happened that morning at lunch. 

“Yeah, Loboto’s kid was psychic, it’s always a shame to have to do that, especially with the electroshock and the amputation, but it had to be done.” Penelope’s father said casually. Penelope stared down at her food disgusted, they did all of that to Cal… for being psychic. 

Her father had always hated Psychics, but they had always been some of the nicest kids at school, they never tried to bully her or pick fights. She felt sick, not just with the doctors, or Cal’s parents, but with herself. She had tried to tell him his fear was irrational, she has dismissed his fears as just doctors visit anxiety. 

“How’s he doing now?” She asked cautiously, oh, the Lobotomy and the electroshock are currently done, he’s just getting his arm amputated.” Penelope’s father looked at his daughter, and noticed the discomfort she was feeling, “Don’t worry, we are taking good care of him, just as we would with you.”  
Penelope didn’t care, all she could do was worry about her friend… Even if the procedure went well he might never be the same, and if it didn’t, well she didn’t want to think about it.

*** 

Hours later, Penelope had been creeping down the hall in order to find her friend's room, she didn’t expect him to be awake, not after something like that, she just wanted confirmation he was okay. Finally she came across the room she had overheard the doctors talking about, and took a peek through the window. 

Caligosto looked awful, his entire head was obscured, and his entire torso war wrapped up in white bandages, with a noticeable stump where his right arm should be. He looked awful. 

Penelope held her head down crestfallen and made her way back to the break room, she didn’t care if she got caught this time, why did it matter, she had already checked up on her friend. It wasn’t like the doctors could take that away from her. She just wanted all of this to be over, this day, this week, this month. Anything that would speed up her friend's recovery. 

***

“I heard he regained consciousness Yesterday,” Penelope told Mr. Pokeylope as he swam around the small pond.

“That’s excellent news Baby, I’m sure with enough time, everything’s gonna be alright.” Mr. Pokeylope said warmly as he swam around the pond. 

“Well, he is awake, but completely catatonic, he doesn’t recognize his parents or even respond to his own name. It would be a long time before he recovers, if ever,” Penelope whispered. 

“Maybe you should check on him. Even if he’s unresponsive, surely he must be in better condition than he was last week.” Encouraged Mr. Pokeylope. 

Penelope thought it over, she knew seeing him would just upset her again, but it might give her some peace of mind, at least knowing what condition her friend was in directly might ease some of her fears. 

“I will in a few minutes,” Penelope decided, “I just need to stop by the breakroom and grab something, but first can you tell me that story about your friend Linda again?” The story was always one of her favorites, but Mr. Pokeylope could go on for hours if she let him. 

“Oh Baby, I thought you’d never ask.” 

***

Penelope looked through the window and back at her friend, he did look a little better, now half his face was viable, and his green eye was fixated on the wall in front of him. Looking around to ensure nobody could see her, Penelope opened the door a crack and slipped inside. 

“Hi Caligosto, how’s recovery going?” Penelope asked awkwardly, she knew he wouldn’t answer, but the silence still felt deafening. Knowing the end results of what would happen, she stepped into his line of sight, but as expected he made no reactions to her presence.

She didn’t know what she had expected, this was basically what she had been told was happening. Still, there was one thing she had to do before she left. Pulling the chest of teeth from behind her back, she walked over to his bedside table. The table held his glasses, and a vase full of yellow flowers. Opening up the chest, she placed it angling it so he would be able to easily see it. 

With nothing else left to do, Penelope turned to the door. On her way out she couldn’t help but whisper. “Goodbye Cal, no matter where you go, no matter what you do, and no matter how poorly recovery goes, you will always be my friend.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I want to give a special thanks to Tumblr User Redrumrose, for all the inspiration her blog gives me.


End file.
